Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-17
RUSSIA FROM INSIDE.
4 sovxRxxsSf THAT rs THOROUGHLY
pxHoRALIzRD.
ohacers Who are Forced to Live by
Taking Bribes-A Russisn
Lady's Comments.
David Ker in TimeaI

1.-The last time saw you was ut st.
Petersburg. and the late Gar and the
Grand Duke Constantine were Just
coming out OF your house as went in, /"
said ! the other day, greeting at the
door OF quiet little house in quaint
old English town Russian lady whom
had last known as the wife Of one of
the greatest statesmen in Europe anG
herself leading ornament of the most
brilliant intellectual circle of the CAPT.
tai of Russia.
"And yet" she answered, 81 would
rather live quietly in England or Anne
RIGA (you know we Russians always re-
gard the Americans as our special
friends) than he back i'll the Court
circleo St. Petersburg Just now"
"You think, then, as 10, that Rus
STA is on the eve OF great crisis /?
said |, struck with the gloomy cmpha-
sis Of her tone and manner.
"Yes, | think that she has a terrible
struggle before her, but still feel GER
tain that she will he found equal TO the
redressing of her own grievances. |
don't in the least anticipate that gen
eral overthrow that some people pro-
pbesy."
"Stepniak and Kra2otkin, for in
stance, suggested /.
"Stepniak bort talk of him "
cried the lady, with a flash of wrath in
her great black eyes that recalled tome
at once the ominous look that had
seen so often on her beautiful face du
ring the grim days of the troubles in
Poland. "He has told worse lies of rs
than any one. Only last week | sent
to one of the London newspapers some
of my facts about the inner life OF Rus
STA, Just to show them how Stepniak
had twisted the truth. But the editor
wanted to print my ties, and"
"And didn't you let him do it
then 2" cried / in amazement. "You
might have upset Stepniak, and you
actually threw away the chance"
Il could not have done so" she re-
piled, without compromising many OF
my own friends, which / did not choose
to do. So, when the editor sent me a
proof of what | had written, / wrote
back that my communication was in
tended to be private, and that | wished
the publication stopped at once, which
was done accordingly"
"Could you not give those facts to
me?" asked i, eagerly. "IH pledge
my word to give no names without
your leave, but such disclosures as
those you mention would be of price
less value just now"
Il fear l cannot help you there, for
The omission of the names would Grip
pie the whole story. Bat will gladly
answer any other questions that you
like to ask if you will promise not to
quote me as your authority; for when
| go back to Russia it won't do for the
Government to know that I've been
telling tales.
81 can readily promise that" said /,
"for fancy that my own name is not
in very good odor with the Russian
Government after what I've published
about the things that saw in Central
Asia and Afghanistan. SO now, to make
beginning, what do you think likely
to happen in Russia during the next
Six months ?"
1.-TWO things. First. these spirits of
anti.Jewish excitement will be followed
by an organized movement against the
German residents in Russia. Secondly,
the Russian currency will fall lower
than il has ever done before, and well
il MAJ when We have a man like Abaza
for our Minister of Finance"
Indeed? I've heard that he's not
worth much, and he certainly does not
look like genius, but"
much ? Hes worth nothing at all.
That German who came before him,
though you couldn't call him brilliant.
was steady and sensible but this man
is neither the one nor the other. Since
Ike came into power things have just
gone from bad to worse, and everything
that he does Oh Y serves to make them
worse still. / his is doubly bad, for in
OrGer to carry oIt our most pressing
reform We should have to spend good
deal of money, though We would un-
doubtedly save by it in the end. "
In what way, pray
"Well, are you aware that not one
nan among the subordinate officials OF
our provincial administration receives
a salary sufficient for him to live
upon 2"
Really ? OF course | knew that to
be so in some cases, but had no idea
that ii was so universal.
cit is though, and that's the root of
the whole trouble. Not being able to
gain livelihood by fair means, these
men take brides. sell justice, Cypress
the peasants, and do everything to ire
pare the ground for these Nihilists,
who, as you know, make all Europe
ring with their outcries against the
corruption and venality of Russian
officials Then, of course, the 'tchi-
novniks tofficials) either neglect their
work altogether or do it badly, SO as to
make profit on it, and then we waste
more money in putting it right than
we should spend in paying them pro-
ptrly."
"Wcll, said J, "vly not suppress
some OF your useless officials, and give
high,I pay 10 tue rest out of the sur
plus thus obtaiEed? You would lose
notbirg by abolshing the censorship.
Tor instance, Ger all that it does is to
thut out such writer's as Carlyle and
join Stuart Mill. while the Nihilist
pamphlets which it is supposed to keep
IN check come into Russia by thou
sends III the soles of shoes and the
binding Of books"
"1iue enough" she answered, "but
I'm afraid we're hardly ready for such
sweeping changes yet. You must re-
member that the various parts of our
official system are so Linked together
that We cannot touch one without
bringing down two or three more--a
TACT which should be considered by
those who are always asking why Rus
ria doesn't refoIm. But we shall really
have 70 DO something toward remodel
ling cur army before long. Do You
know wint is the proportion of foreign
officers in our service fifty-eight per
cent. among the regimental officers and
70 per cent. among the generals. You
con easily guess how many OF these are
Germans, and you can guess, too, what
tie feeling OF the native Russians is
toward them"
a. should think could. When the
Prince of Wales asked me about that
answered by quoting chat joke Of your
<..aak t,,nnr,St N,lnla. (.nnol about